When the Los Angeles Rams came out of nowhere to sign Allen Robinson in free agency, the overwhelming response was positive. Robinson was the top wide receiver available and though the Rams already had good depth at the position, he’s a game-changing pass-catcher who brings a different skill set to Los Angeles.
Just like fans, many analysts love this move for the Rams. ESPN polled its analysts and asked which free-agent signing was the best so far and two (Stephania Bell and Dan Graziano) had Robinson as their pick.
Here’s what Bell said about the move for the Rams, highlighting his consistent hands on deep passes and ability to come down with 50-50 balls.
Bell: WR Allen Robinson II to the Rams. I love the improvements from the Bills and Bengals, and the Rams fall into that same bucket in rescuing Robinson from Chicago. It’s fair to say that despite the ultimate success of Matthew Stafford‘s 2021 season, he wasn’t exceptionally precise when throwing the ball downfield (27th in deep pass accuracy). Enter Robinson, who dropped just one (one!) deep pass on his 128 deep targets in Chicago. He’s a player who will win 50-50 balls and is still in his prime (he turns 29 in August). The rich get richer, much to the dismay of the rest of the NFC West.
Graziano shared similar sentiments, saying Robinson is “basically the wide receiver version of what Matthew Stafford was last offseason.” In that, he feels like Robinson has been held back throughout his career, just like Stafford was in Detroit.
That’s accurate when you consider the quarterbacks Robinson has played with, which is an unimpressive group.
Graziano: WR Allen Robinson II to the Rams. And they got him for less than the Jaguars are paying Christian Kirk! Robinson is basically the wide receiver version of what Matthew Stafford was last offseason — a guy we all feel pretty sure is very good but has been held back by his circumstances for way too long. The list of quarterbacks from whom Robinson has had to try to catch passes during his career is too depressing to get into right now, but it suffices to say he has never had a quarterback like Stafford. In Sean McVay’s offense, with Cooper Kupp drawing attention, Robinson could have a career year.
Robinson won’t be the go-to receiver in Los Angeles like he was with the Bears and Jaguars, but the attention every defense pays to Cooper Kupp will only help Robinson get open more often – something he’s excited about.
